How much does a salvage title affect value?

I saw an ad for a '99 Superglide Sport locally with a salvage title.
The seller is asking $9500 (NADA pegs avg retail at $8500) and I'm
wondering how much the branded title would affect the bike's value.

Personally, I wouldn't pay more than 60% or so of book value for a
rebuilt and inspected salvage vehicle.
While the Superglide Sport is a very capable bike, it was never a big
seller and isn't all that popular so there is no way a clean titled
bike should be worth more than book unless it has some very worthwhile
improvements.

The story is the bike was a recovered theft that was laid down with
minimal cosmetic damage. New paint, wide glide front end, LED gauges,
18k miles w/fresh top end rebuild (cyls, heads, cams, primary, clutch)
GA salvage title ready for DMV inspection. I hear what you're all

It has to pass inspection!! You will have to set up an appointment to
meet an inspector in your area or take it to a place that the state does
inspections regurarly (usually every two weeks). If it does not pass
inspection you have to fix the problems and have it inspected again. The
state does not inspect them for free either!! Oh, and you have to have
ALL of your paper work and it has to be CORRECT or your out of there. You
also have to have pictures of the vehicle BEFORE repairs were made to
show the inspector. You had best know what you are doing to avoid alot
of time and money spent.

I would surely have the seller do this and have you a clear title before
I buy! Usually salvage vehicles sell for around wholesale value.

I would NEVER buy a salvage vehicle before it has been
inspected!!!!!!!!!!! Unless you are in the rebuild business and I assume
you are not because you asked this question.

saying about paying less than book for a branded title bike. Obviously
this dude has a few sheckles into this thing and might be sitting on it
for a while. I am kinda curious why he thought it needed a top end with

A thought that comes to mind is the thief wrung it out real hard while
riding it. (You know, "ride it like you stole it") Maybe over-revved it,
floated the valves, which can cause the valve springs to weaken and so on
and on.
Dave

$2,500 seems fair. Not sure, if you're even looking in that price range why
you would consider this bike.

$2500?? The guy is asking $9500. Haven't gone to see it yet, thought
I'd run it past the group to get feedback first. Certainly, for that
kind of dough I'd rather have a bike w/a clean title.

18k on it.

Shouldn't be a Salvage then.........
Salvage, AFAIK is a vehicle that can NOT be repaired without replaceing
Major Chassis Components...
Such as Bent Frame....

Banker....
You had experience in this with moosekiller....Enlighten us.....

I could be wrong....but I bet it's legal where he come's from

Depends where it happens.
A salvage title can just mean the insurance company wrote it off which
they often do with bikes regardless of whether or not they are
repairable.
Here we have two levels of salvage titles.
Repairable and parts only.
Once repaired and passed inspection it has a normal title again but is
always listed as a write off with the licensing authority. It is an
offence to state otherwise when selling the vehicle.

My dad's '66 Electraglide seized from running while laying on its side following
a crash. Minimal cosmetic damage but a seized engine. That might be why it's
been rebuilt. Regardless of whether or not the bike is as good as new, the fact
that the word Salvaged is on the title means it has less resale value than a
clean title. You might find later on that the frame, forks, bars, etc. are the
slightest bit tweaked. Maybe not.

Frankly, all that might bring it up to book value.
Unless the top end was done as a performance upgrade or as a result of
cam bearing issues (99s were prone) I wouldn't hazard a guess.
I did a top end on mine at 25000 miles to do a full 95 inch stage 3
set up otherwise I would have left it alone.
The other stuff is nice but really not worth much if any more than
stock and probably made necessary by the lay down.

Value on a salvage title vehicle will be much less than NADA. What
the owner has in it makes no difference, except to the owner.

Second problem, Insurance. If a total loss claim has been paid out
for a given VIN # then it will be very difficult to obtain full
coverage for that vehicle ever again. So unless your willing (able)to
pay cash out of pocket your going to face a problem with the bank.

Oh, that must be Roethlisberger's bike. I'd pay that much for his bike.

Depends on the state. In many states, it would reduce the value to ZERO as
a vehicle with just a salvage title can not be legally sold or transferred
to another private party. Also, most states dictate that even if you keep a

WRONG. Since when is 2000 pounds of steel worth zero?

I have 2 vehicles with salvage titles. Both legally purchased and
are currently titled and under current registration and no problems
operating them on the public road.

All a salvage title means is that an insurance company somewhere
has "totaled out" the vehicle. That is, the vehicle was in an accident,
it was decided it would be cheaper to pay book value on the
car by an insurer, book value was paid, and the title was surrendered
to the insurer. The insurers then tag the title as salvage so that an
unscruplous person cannot buy the vehicle for pennies, put it under
comprehensive insurance, then a few months later file claim they
were in an accident and get the insurer to pay out once more
again on the vehicle.

If you have a vehicle with a salvage title, and you repair it,
and document the repair and money spent on it, then guess
what, now it has value again, and if insured, the insurer is
going to pay out something on it if it gets crashed.

salvage title vehicle (which is legal in certain circumstances), it can not
be legally operated on public roads. (so do you want to buy it to never
ride it?!?)

Can you name at least two states (you claimned "many states" so two
shouldn't be difficult) where it is illegal to re-sell a salvage titled
vehicle?

Now some states allow you to apply for a new title for a salvage vehicle,
sometimes called a "rebuilt" title. But the hoops you have to jump through

"reconstructed" title.

to get that title are not insignificant. For starters, you have to prove
that the vehicle was never stolen. Good luck on that.

Absolute rediculous rubbish and nonsense. VIN lookups are
readily available from lots of places or you can call a police
department who can go here:

Note:

"...
Categories of records in the system:

A. Stolen Vehicle File: 1. Stolen vehicles. ..."Ted

For late model vehicles with a clear title this isn't particularly
difficult.

Considering the seller wants more than book value for a bike that he should
be PAYING YOU to take off his hands, I would run (not walk) away from that
deal. -Dave

I agree, paying more than NADA retail for a bike with a salvage title
doesn't sound very smart to me.

After reading about half the thread, I think I would have to pass up the
oppertunity to buy a scooter for a grand higher than book. ESpecially with a
dicey title. I went down that trail in Florida, with a dirt bike title. I
never was able to put it on the street. O'course, that was in the days when
I had a full head of hair too.

Have a beer!

Glug glug glug... Aahhhh... Thanksh Frank..

Yeah, I passed on the salvage title bike, and am buying the 97 FXDL for
$8k. It's got 10k miles, original owner, and is clean enuff to eat off
of.

FrankinJax
SENS

Say what ? He wants MORE than NADA, with a SALVAGE title ?
What's his excuse for the title ?

Price is okay, but I recommend that you talk to your insurance company
to see if they'll insure it.

How you define value?

If you're considering it for resale purposes then its' resale value may be
limited and you might loose your shirt given the current asking price.

If you're considering it for riding purposes then only you can define its'
enjoyment value to you (consider that if you were to ride it for 10 years
the cost per year is less than $1k - if you were to junk after 10 years)

You might want to ask yourself how the current seller arrived at a price of
$9500 when they may have been compensated by an insurance company.

The seller bought it from a guy in FL that bought it at a GA auction
and let it sit for 2 years and get all nastified. He then put some $$
into it for the top end, WG front, and paint. I'm considering the value
because if I find myself in a position where I have to sell it I don't
wanna lose my shirt in the deal. Other than that I plan to ride this
next bike for many years.

I'm just not sure if it's worth more to me than the Evo-powered 97 Dyna
Low Rider

If you document why the title is salvage then the hit depends upon that
why. I, and others I know, won't buy a salvage titled vehicle w/o a full
documentation.

For example, many sport bikes get totaled due to superficial but
expensive plastic loss. I'd buy such a bike in a flash if it made
economic sense and I was in the market for it.